Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-04-29
A MONSTER OAK.


. the River Rhone in France.
We were attracted by placard an
nouncing that large oak was on exhi
bition near the Place de la Concorde
although the object of our visit was not
to see large antediluvian oaks. The1
advertisement was so tempting, the
distance so short to reach the spot, and
the idea SO novel, that we turned ouI
steps toward the Seine where this oaI
was exhibited on a boat especially built
for its reception and exhibition.
Whatever scientists may think of it
we will only undertake to describe it as
it appeared TO us. The account of where
it was found is not the least curious
portion of its history. The bed of the
Rhone, above the village of Yenne is
very wide, but becomes very narrow,
not exceeding five hundred feet at the
foot of Fort Pere Chatel. 1t appears that
after the freshets in the Rhone the
waters of that river were unusually
low. At this point, imbedded deeply
in the sand, this giant tree was found.
A bargeman perceived branch a
little above the surface of the
water. After several soundings he be-
came assured that this branch was at
tached to a tree of great length and size.
The level of the Rhone being very
changeable, the difficulties and doubtful
success delayed the undertaking of the
costly work for some time. The tree
was watched for ten long years. At last
favorite time presented itself by the
unusual fall of the waters of the Rhone
and from a singular accident. In Sep
tember, 1888, in consequence of the sill
ding of the mountain of Lillude, near
Rellegarde department of Ain, France)
which, it will be remembered, carried
away the Cologne tunnel on the Lyons
and Geneva line, the Rhone was divided
into two streams by this oak. This bar
to navigation would have proved vic
tim to dynamite if the engineers and
men of science had not interposed. BY
the aid of $50 sturdy workmen the feat
OF the removal was accomplished in $50
days. Twenty times the ropes and
windlasses gave way before the work
was finished. Finally, amid the shouts
of the peasantry, the huge tree was safely
landed on the 10Th of March, 1884. Its
dimensions are: length, 102 feet; cir
conference, 20 feet inches; cube,
HALO; weight, 121,000 pounds. One
limb which remains near the top is as
large as the largest oak of the French
forests. The top of this tree broken
off would probably have made the
full length of trunk 164 feet.
The bark would have made a
great addition to the circumference.
This tree is undoubtedly the Quercus
of the ancients. One can look at il
and imagine all sorts of romantic sights
which have passed before it, and, as
tastes differ in this respect, will leave
your readers to their own lively imagi
nation to cover this picture as they
choose. The scrubby trees twinine
their roots about the rocks in the neigh
borhood can claim no relationship t6
this huge monster.
1t is an oak, it must be remembered
and as such its proportions are large
although his cousins of the Yosemit,
valley could exhibit him as dwarf. TIL,
proof seems indisputable that this tree
could not obtain its growth in less thar
one thousand years, and whether anG
how it resisted the flood for various
reasons / will omit to explain. The
Carolina oaks attain height of ninety
feet, but are not SO large as this
specimen. This oak is straight, ano
branches out at nearly height O
ninety feet. The tree is firmly braceC
in the center of an iron boat 125 il
length and eighteen feet in width, ant
admits of convenient passage arouno
it and is covered and inclosed, and cal
thus traverse all the rivers and canals
of the continent, and could withstan,
quite heavy sea. This ingeniousl,
contrived boat has center-board whicl
preserves its equilibrium, and con
trivance for lowering in the water, 81
that it can pass underneath bridges
The color of this oak, owing
to the length of time it has beer
in the water, is black as ebony
1t has not IN the slightest degret
become carbonized; as is demon
strated by cutting into some of the de
tached branches. If it would not b,
sacrilegious to destroy such a natura
chef d 9uure it would make splendiC
furniture, and ut such a price as woul,
insure a small fortune. We can no
close this description without alludin;
to Il contrivance that unfortunately at
tracted our attention, which on close
inspection proved to be large bras
plate placed over a knot-hole, followed
out about midway of the length of tn
tree, bearing this inscriptions: do no
forget the employees" We had alread
paid for admission, but we dropped il
something, as we thought if the attend
ants were dependent upon their EN-